Admiral Kronara gestured at the servitor droid, and it projected a flat map of the Outer Rim into the air, centered on Hetzal, displayed in red. A number of other systems were also marked with the color, creating a very rough circle around the site of the original disaster. A red ring surrounded it all—the current boundary of the hyperspace lane closures.

“Fifteen at current count, Chancellor,” Admiral Kronara answered. “We might be missing some because, obviously, not every fragment of the Legacy Run impacts a planet. We’re assuming other pieces are emerging from hyperspace undetected.”

“And we still have no idea what caused this?”

“Not yet,” Secretary Lorillia replied in his thickly accented Basic. “My analysts have never seen anything like it—but we are working on the problem.”

“So, in theory,” Lina said, “it’s possible that any ship traveling through hyperspace could be destroyed in a similar way?”

The transportation secretary nodded, uncomfortable. He was a no-nonsense Muun, and disliked uncertainty of any kind. His goal—the point of the entire galaxy-wide bureau he ran—was to keep the spaceports humming and cargo running and passenger transports arriving and departing precisely on time. The idea that there could be a problem with hyperspace, the barely understood system that allowed the entire Republic to exist…well, Lina thought this might be poor Jeffo’s worst nightmare.

“The risk of another similar disaster is why I’ve closed the lanes, and why they will remain closed until we know more,” Lina said.

Lorillia’s thin lips twitched, and he lifted his hands, tapping his long, thin fingers together once, slowly, then again. Lina gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

“It’s all right, Jeffo. I realize this makes your job a thousand times more challenging, but I’ll give you all the support I can. You understand why this is necessary, I hope. The Emergences are bad enough. We simply cannot have another ship fall apart like the Legacy Run.”

She gestured at Kronara and Avar Kriss.

“Next time we might not have Jedi and Republic heroes nearby to save the day.”

Secretary Lorillia gave a tight nod, pulling himself together.

“Of course, Chancellor. You can rely on me. I will make it work.”

Lina took a moment to consider the reports she had received, then turned to the members of the Jedi Council standing nearby, listening intently but volunteering nothing.

“Anything from your side of things?” Lina asked.

“We can say that these events do not seem to be the result of direct action by Force users,” Yarael Poof said, the Quermian’s head weaving back and forth on his elongated neck like a flower in a breeze. “We are not all-knowing, but as of now we have no evidence along those lines.”